Still no consensus on next intelligence chief

ANC candidate must have a two-thirds majority in Parliament

THE future of the new Inspector-General of Intelligence hangs in the balance after months of stalling in Parliament to back the ANC candidate for the top job in the world of spooks.

The ANC endorsed its former MP Cecil Burgess for the position, but his appointment fell through due to insufficient numbers in Parliament to support him.

The Inspector-General must receive a two-thirds majority in the house to be appointed.

Yesterday, the ANC said the matter remained on the agenda for more discussion.

There was still a lot of work to be done with other parties to reach consensus.

Burgess was an ANC MP for a number of years and he chaired several key committees in Parliament during his tenure.

One of those he chaired was the ad hoc committee on the Protection of State of Information Bill. The committee was processing this controversial bill, dubbed the “Secrecy Bill”.

The bill has remained on President Jacob Zuma’s desk for more than a year after parties objected to its approval by Parliament and urged Zuma not to sign it into law.

ANC chief whip Stone Sizani’s spokesman, Moloto Mothapo, said there was still no consensus on the candi- date for the position, which has been vacant for five months since March this year, when Faith Radebe’s term ended.

However, Burgess’s appointment by the ANC in June did not garner the required two-thirds majority for approval.

Mothapo said it was difficult to know whether the matter would be back on the agenda before the end of the year.

“There is still a lot of work to be done; there still needs to be consensus on the candidate among political parties,” Mothapo said.

He said thorough consultation among political parties would have to take place.

Opposition parties were opposed to Burgess’s candidacy from day one, arguing that besides his strong ANC ties, he was also chairman of the ad hoc committee on the Protection of State Information Bill.

They argued it was imperative an inspector-general of intelligence would have to be insulated from all the parties in Parliament.